New School Improves Access to Education for Rural Maasai Children in Tanzania

As teachers and students across North America return to school this fall, Projects Abroad is pleased to report that construction of the Projects Abroad Academy in Tanzania is nearing completion.

Projects Abroad volunteers work at the building site of the new Projects Abroad Academy for Maasai children.

NEW YORK – September 4, 2014 – As teachers and students across North America return to school this fall, Projects Abroad is pleased to report that construction of the Projects Abroad Academy in Tanzania is nearing completion. Construction began earlier this year in Meserani, a Maasai community located just outside Arusha, where many children struggle to get an education because they are forced to travel great distances to get to school. The Projects Abroad Academy, funded and run entirely by Projects Abroad, will support children in the community and give them a safe place in which to learn.

Volunteers have been working hard alongside local builders since March to build the school from the ground up. Work began with clearing the land and digging the foundations for two classrooms, two toilets, a temporary kitchen, and a small playground. Now that the roofing and flooring for the classrooms have been completed, construction has begun on the kitchen and toilet facilities. In the future, Projects Abroad hopes to expand the school to include five classrooms, a teacher’s office, additional toilets, and a permanent kitchen.

The Projects Abroad Academy, which will initially support up to 60 children aged 3-12 years, will also provide kindergarten and pre-school classes to younger children.

“The main objective of the school is to provide a quality education for Maasai children and make a significant and long-term impact on the community,” explains Projects Abroad Vice-President Thomas Pastorius Jr. “Education is one of the keys to successful sustainable development in Tanzania and helping children get an education is one of the ways our volunteers can make a tangible difference in people’s lives.”

Teaching in the Maasai community of Meserani is ongoing and our volunteers do the majority of the teaching, with a local teacher on hand to offer guidance and help with discipline. We are looking forward to the day when we can welcome the students and teachers – both local and volunteers – to their new school.

Projects Abroad was founded in 1992 by Dr. Peter Slowe, a geography professor, as a program for students to travel and work while on break from full-time study. The program had its genesis in post-USSR Romania, where students were given the chance to teach conversational English. After a few years just sending volunteers to Eastern Europe for teaching, the company expanded to sending volunteers of all ages around the world on a wide range of projects.

Projects Abroad is a global leader in short-term international volunteer programs with projects in 29 countries and recruitment offices in the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Holland, Hong Kong, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United States.